


Those Are the Rules...

by MueraRashaye, Origami_Roses



Series: Aelius' Backstory Ficlets [2]
Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Gen, Languages and Linguistics, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-07 13:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20976299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MueraRashaye/pseuds/MueraRashaye, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Origami_Roses/pseuds/Origami_Roses
Summary: Learning a new language is hard. Talking to native speakers to try and get a better understanding of the rules is often... less than helpful.





	Those Are the Rules...

“So, I hear the King was _most_ impressed by your suggestions on improving literacy?” Kantor asked, the grin on his face – and the emphasis on most when it was quite unnecessary – more than enough to know he had some joke or teasing lurking in the wings.

Rolling his eyes, Aelius said flatly, “I amn’t going to touch that one.”

Kantor froze in the act of replying, mouth snapping shut and his lips twitching suspiciously. Aelius narrowed his eyes at the Herald, “What?”

“Amn’t, Aelius?”

“Yes! Like don’t, you concatenate do-not to don’t. Am-not to amn’t. Is that not right?”

“Sorry Aelius, it’s not. The closest we have to a contraction for am not is ain’t, and it’s – ah. Very very casual Valdemaran. Not something you would use in any form of professional setting.”

“Oh. Why is it different then? Is there a rule for when the concatenation works versus not?”

“I have no idea – if it ends in a vowel versus a consonant, maybe?”

Aelius mulled that over, nodding when Kantor asked if he wanted another beer and let him order this round, a new ale of some sort, but from the tavern’s chatter it was decent enough. That was at least a potential rule…

“Non-example! Example of error!” he said, Kantor choking on a laugh this time and Aelius glowered at him because there was a word for what he wanted, damn it.

“Can-not to can’t. And will-not to won’t and did-not to didn’t. All consonants that concatenate and not the same consonant each time. Inconsistent tenses as well. Also, do you have a word for example-of-the-opposite-of-your-claim?”

“Eh… my logic class was years ago,” Kantor mumbled to himself, brow furrowing as he thought that over before shrugging and offering, “Counterexample, I think?”

“Counterexample,” Aelius repeated, breaking the word into its separate parts and considering it before shrugging himself. “That would make sense at least. Unlike your concatenation rules. So I have to say am not in full, not amn’t?”

“Well – am is the singular first person conjugation, so it’s only really used with I – and we usually say I’m not,” Kantor elaborated, looking thoughtful, “How bizarre. The other forms of the verb concatenate with not just fine – is, are, was, were, will – just not am.”

Aelius stared at Kantor flatly, the Herald catching the expression on his face and immediately biting back a grin. 

“What kind of drunken moron invented this language?!” Aelius shouted, Kantor promptly dissolving into laughter and Aelius ended up falling into Crane’s tongue as he continued, “Why do you need five different conjugations of the same verb that aren’t even spelled close to the same?!”

“Is – something the matter, sirs?” the serving girl asked, holding their new beers and eyeing them warily. 

“He’s just taking Valdemaran conjugation rules a bit personally,” Kantor wheezed, sliding coin for the drinks across the table to her.

“I am taking your entire language’s existence personally, its rules are offensively stupid,” Aelius grumbled, glowering while Kantor just collapsed back into helpless laughter. He kept the scowl on his face as he tried the beer – actually decent, and he didn’t care much for the Valdemaran wheat-based brews. He’d have to remember this brewer. Kantor apparently agreed, taking a sip of his own and humming contentedly. Aelius waited until he was halfway through his second draught to speak.

“I hope you keep drinking this beer and choke on it,” he growled.

Instead, Kantor had to spit his sip back into his mug when he started laughing again, which was just as good.

**Author's Note:**

> I (MueraRashaye) have been both parts of this conversation - and found it hysterically frustrating each time. Any linguistic claims/inaccuracies are due solely to Kantor being an amateur, and not at all due to my own refusal to go down Yet Another Google Rabbithole.
> 
> And I (Origami Roses) am just a nerd who enjoys linguistics and languages. I've been on both sides of the conversation, too, but tended to find it more educationally fun than frustrating. At least where English is concerned. (Usually.)
> 
> We hope you enjoyed!


End file.
